Heltec T114 Power Consumption Tests

Summary

The video script details a power consumption test of the HTech T114 device, a compact and energy-efficient gadget. The presenter uses a simple bench setup with a lithium polymer battery and a multimeter to measure the device's current draw during various operations. The test reveals that the T114 consumes remarkably low power, especially when compared to the older HTE model. The script also explores the impact of Bluetooth and GPS on power usage, noting significant differences in consumption between the T114 and the ESP32-based device.

Takeaways

• 📡 The video discusses the power consumption of the HTech T114, a device introduced in a previous video.
• 🔋 The HTech T114 is shown to run on a small battery, indicating its low power consumption.
• 🛠️ The test setup includes a one-cell Lithium Polymer battery and a multimeter to measure current in milliamps.
• 🔌 The device boots up at 2 milliamps and peaks at 186 milliamps during transmission, suggesting efficient power use.
• 📲 The device's power consumption remains low even when Bluetooth is enabled, with no significant increase observed.
• 🔄 After turning off Bluetooth, the idle current slightly decreases, indicating Bluetooth's minor impact on power draw.
• 📉 The power consumption settles around 9 milliamps without Bluetooth, which is very low compared to previous models.
• 🆚 When compared to the Laowa 32 V3, the HTech T114 shows significantly lower power consumption, highlighting the efficiency of the nRF52 chip.
• 🚦 The video demonstrates that the device's power consumption can be further reduced by disabling Bluetooth and the display.
• 🌐 The impact of the integrated Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on the ESP32's power efficiency is significant, as shown by the drop in current when Bluetooth is disabled.
• 🌞 The video concludes with a mention of testing the device with a solar panel input, suggesting potential for long-term, self-sustaining operation.

Q & A

What is the main purpose of the video?

The main purpose of the video is to test and demonstrate the power consumption of the Htech T114 device.

What device is being tested in the video?

The device being tested is the Htech T114, a small node device from Htech.

What is the initial observation about the Htech T114's power consumption?

The initial observation is that the Htech T114 is running on a tiny battery and has been running for a while, suggesting low power consumption.

What setup is used to measure the power consumption of the Htech T114?

A one-cell Lithium Polymer battery and a multimeter set to measure in milliamps are used to measure the power consumption.

What is the initial power consumption reading of the Htech T114 during boot up?

The initial power consumption reading during boot up is 2 milliamps, which is expected to increase temporarily as the device boots up.

How does the power consumption change when the Htech T114 is transmitting?

During transmission, the power consumption peaks at 186 milliamps, indicating a brief increase in power usage.

What is the idle power consumption of the Htech T114 after the initial boot?

The idle power consumption of the Htech T114 after the initial boot settles around 9 milliamps.

What effect does Bluetooth have on the Htech T114's power consumption?

Bluetooth has a minimal but noticeable effect on power consumption, with a slight increase when Bluetooth is turned on and a decrease when it is turned off.

How does the Htech T114 compare to the HTE32 V3 in terms of power consumption?

The Htech T114 has significantly lower power consumption compared to the HTE32 V3, with the latter drawing over 100 milliamps even when idle.

What additional component is tested for its impact on the Htech T114's power consumption?

A GPS module is tested to determine its impact on the Htech T114's power consumption, showing an increase to 51 milliamps when active.

What is the final observation regarding the Htech T114's power efficiency?

The final observation is that the Htech T114 is very power efficient, especially when Bluetooth and the display are turned off, with power consumption dropping significantly.